Connor Graham set for return after recovering from stress fracture in hand

Talented teenager says he’s ‘under orders not too hit too many balls, go slowly and have rest days’

Connor Graham became the youngest-ever Walker Cup player when he represented GB&I in last year's match at St Andrews. Picture: Oisin Keniry/R&A/R&A via Getty Images.

Blairgowrie’s Connor Graham is fit again and raring to go but “under orders not to hit too many balls” as he returns to action over the next couple of days.

The talented teenager was forced to pull out of the Scotland squad that spent some time in South Africa earlier in the year, when his big brother Gregor won the South African Amateur Championship, due to a stress fracture in his right hand.

That also saw Graham, who was unbeaten in helping Europe win the Junior Ryder Cup in Rome last September, miss out on a trip to the US to play in the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley in South Carolina.

But, after patiently waiting to be given the green light to get back playing, he’s now set to get his 2024 campaign underway over the next couple of days.

On Sunday, he’ll be part of the Scottish Golf squad taking on North East at Murcar Links, where the Home Internationals are being held later in the year.

Along with those some players, Graham will then be representing Team Scottish Golf against Team Paul Lawrie in a mouth-watering match between amateurs and professionals at Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeen on Monday.

“Yeah, good to be back playing,” the youngest-ever player in Walker Cup history, having achieved that feat in last year’s match at St Andrews, told The Scotsman. “I don’t think I’ve ever taken a day off golf over the last ten years, so having to rest and not hit balls for eight weeks was tough.

“The stress fracture has healed and it’s just been a slow process the last few weeks building the hand, arm, and body back up. The Institute of Sport has been fantastic. I’m under orders, though, not to hit too many balls, go slowly, have rest days, and don’t load the hand too much, for the next few weeks.

“I do feel good now, though. It’s nice hitting balls again. It was obviously tough missing out on the trip to South Africa and the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley, but I’m very much looking forward to getting my season going now.

“Sunday’s match at Murcar against the North East and the game against the professionals at Trump Balmedie should be a great couple of days. I’m sure there will be some rust there, but it will be great competing again. My focus, however, will be to get my game ready for when I’m representing Scotland in the Nations Cup at Sotogrande nine days later.”